Nato at the Indo-Pacific Doorstep
By: Segundo Eclar Romero - @inquirerdotnet
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:15 AM May 09,
2023
alliance that includes 31 member
countries, whose core values include the
promotion of democracy, individual
liberty, and the rule of law. The
challenges facing Nato today emanate
outside of Europe—Russia
(geographically more Asian than
European) and China.
Japan is not a “North Atlantic” country,
one might say. Sure, but it is the
character of being a “Western
democracy” that is more definitive and
relevant. Geography takes second fiddle
to ideology. And Japan has been, for a
China’s assertive expansionism has long time, committed to the core values
begun to reap the whirlwind. Not only of Western democracy, as has South
has the United States finally gotten the Korea. And Australia and New Zealand.
formula and spirit of its pivot to Asia Oh, and Taiwan!
right. Now it has inspired the other The desire to open new channels of
Western powers to rally behind it where cooperation goes both ways. Japan plans
they never imagined they’d tread to create an independent diplomatic
before. Nikkei reports that the North mission to Nato, separate from its
Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) mission in Belgium. This marks a sea
plans to open a “liaison office” in Tokyo, change in defense cooperation among
the first of its kind in Asia. The only Western democracies. The bilateral
other places where Nato has liaison partnership is crafted under a rubric
offices are the United Nations (UN) in called the Individually Tailored
New York, the Organization for Security Partnership Programme addressing
and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna, cyber threats, emerging and disruptive
and in Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia and technologies, and disinformation,
Herzegovina, and Kuwait. leading to the Nato Summit in Vilnius,
Nato was established in 1949 as a Lithuania, on July 11-12. This mode of
military alliance among North American deepening cooperation could be the
and European countries to provide mold of engagement for the Asia-Pacific
collective defense against potential Four—Japan, South Korea, Australia,
Soviet aggression during the Cold War. and New Zealand, who were also at last
Today, it is a political and military year’s Nato Summit in Madrid.
These same countries—the United inutile. The grotesque imagery of
States, United Kingdom, France, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, presiding over the UN Security Council
Thailand, and Pakistan—were the last month made a carnival of the
powers behind the Southeast Asian absurdity of the UN. More than Ukraine,
Treaty Organization (SEATO) the credibility of the UN has become the
established in 1954 to provide collective greatest casualty of Putin’s invasion of
defense against the spread of Ukraine. Is Nato a preview of the next
communism (domino theory) following metamorphosis of the UN as a collective
the French defeat in Indochina. SEATO security system, the same way the UN
eventually folded up in 1977 after the built on the ashes of the League of
US lost the Vietnam War and the Nations?
SEATO’s reason for being vanished.
The Nato move into the Indo-Pacific
Nato with Japan, South Korea, Australia,
could be different. There is no attempt
New Zealand, and India in an effective
to make this new engagement look
operational partnership against Chinese
surreptitious or symbolic. It is meant to
expansionism may enable the
be “very visible, a real way to
Communist Party of China to rethink its
strengthen the relations between Japan
strategy toward Taiwan and the West
and Nato” as the Danish ambassador to
Philippine Sea and other irritants it has
Japan puts it, according to Nikkei. That
introduced in the Indo-Pacific region.
could only be a signal in the direction of
So far, China has cautioned Russia
China.
against the resort to nuclear weapons in
Nato is seemingly applying the lesson it
its war against Ukraine. Its anemic
failed to learn in NOT being anticipatory
efforts to carve a peacemaker role
and confronting Russia about its 2014
nevertheless augur well for the
invasion of Crimea by now being
possibility of China’s stepping back from
proactive in meeting the Chinese global
the brink of its aggressive stance toward
threat, which is most flagrant in the
Taiwan. To snatch is to push away—
West Philippine Sea, Taiwan, and its
Finland and Sweden had maintained
borders, especially with India.
their neutrality over decades. The
The biggest accomplishment of Russia
moment of Russian aggression was
in its invasion of Ukraine is
when they concluded that joining Nato
demonstrating that the United Nations
was the most prudent move in their self-
as the global collective security system
interest.
born of World War II has become
